Celebrity Constellation - Captain Larsson-Fedde

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Solsticizing The Connie

One of the biggest challenges that Captain Gerry has faced
since coming to Celebrity was the Solsticizing of Celebrity
Constellation. Solsticizing is the process of taking popular
features from Celebrity's Solstice class ships and incorporating
them into Celebrity's Millennium class ships.

    "I took the ship over transatlantic to the shipyard. I was
onboard for the 12 days that we did at Volm and Voss in
Hamburg, Germany for the Solsticizing, which was a very
fascinating experience. To see all the work that we were able
to do in 12 days was unbelievable."

     "We had a full cruise going over from Miami.   As soon as
all the guests disembarked in Hamburg, we loaded quite a few
things and then we went to the drydock. We had about 600
contractors come aboard. Most of the crew stayed onboard
and additional crew came."

     "We re-did all of the staterooms with new carpets, new
upholstery and flat screen TVs. In order to get all of them
done within the days we had, we had to do 99 cabins per day,
which is quite a tremendous amount of work."

     "In addition, all of the ship's carpet had to be changed in
the stairways, landings and [public areas]. We changed [the
Cova Café into] Café al Bacio. We built the Gelateria. We
had the Tuscan Grille built with a galley and everything, which
was quite a large job. The same with the Bistro on Five,
which needed a galley as well. We plugged the 'hole'
beneath the Champagne Bar and the old Martini Bar.   We
installed the [new] Martini Bar and the Ice Bar."

  "We also did what you normally do in drydock such as the
painting of the underwater hull. We changed the bearings on
the azipods, which was quite a large job. We did cleaning and
routines on the thrusters."

    "We have a few new items on the bridge. [Going into
effect in 2014], there is a requirement that all ships carry
electronic charts and electronic chart display systems. We
already had that in all our ships. But if you want to then move
away from using paper charts you need an additional unit and
we had that installed when we were in drydock. We also had
some systems installed that are helping us improve our fuel
consumption."

      "All of this was going on at the same time. You have to
cover everything because, for example, you do not want to put
in new carpet and have someone walk over it with paint on
their shoes. We had plastic everywhere and plywood.   It is an
amazing process."

     Planning was crucial. .For example, the right cranes had to
be available at the right time to lift containers on and off the
ship. Arrangements had to be made for the removal and
recycling of old carpeting and other garbage.

     An unforeseen complication arose when a volcano in
Iceland released a huge ash cloud grounding transatlantic
flights and most flights in Europe. "We had a lot of things that
were being flown in. So we had to re-organize and put things
on ships in time to get them there on time.   Other things we
had to get from somewhere else than where we expected to
get them from. There were huge challenges from that on top
of everything else."

     "From an operational point of view a main focus was the
fire hazards. There was a lot of welding and hot work going
on. So we had to have a very big team.   We had briefings
every day on safety. We were able to go through the entire
period without any fires."

     "It was a very busy period of time. Three days before we
were to be in Amsterdam to pick up the guests for our first
cruise after the Solsticizing, I walked around and thought 'I
don't think we are going to be ready.' It is always kind of
stressful when you know that you have 2,000 guests waiting
for you. They expect to get the same Celebrity service that
they got before. They do not expect to get a ship that is half
done."

       "And it was amazing - - we said 'now we need to get
ready' and everything fell into place. We did not open the
Tuscan Grille and the Bristro on Five until three days into the
cruise but that was as planned. Apart from that, everything
was ready and worked well."

     Aside from the challenge of doing all the planned work in
the allotted time, there was another challenge.   As Captain
Gerry noted, Constellation is "the most renown Millennium
class ship. We have a lot of followers who have been on this
ship." Thus, not only did the work have to be done on time, it
had to be done in a way that would preserve the qualities that
had made the ship popular.

     "I think it was a gamble that worked out. The feedback
that I have been getting from the frequent cruisers is that they
are pleased with the changes that have been done. The Connie
is still the Connie. She has just been given a facelift; given a
new youth. It still has the atmosphere that it had before."


     "The transformation, in my opinion, was needed and it has
been shown to be working very well.   It is like a new ship in
many ways. That is the feedback that we are getting from
most of our guests as well."

     "Not only did we change the venues and put in new
carpet, we also went over in the hotel department to the
uniforms that they have on the Solstice-class, which I think
are very elegant. One thing with the crew is that when their
uniforms are nice and elegant you can see that they feel proud
about it as well. It reflects not only in how they look but how
they behave. So I think the whole thing combined was a very
nice thing.   It turned out really well. "

The Human Factor

For Captain Gerry, building interesting features into a ship
and creating a beautiful décor is only the first step in ensuring
that the guests have a good cruise experience. Key to a
memorable cruise is "what you experience when you come
onboard - - how you are greeted, how you are treated by the
crew, how the service is, the quality of the food. For those
who come on these cruises, that is what they are looking for."

    "That is something that a captain [and the ship's]
management are able to do something about. The ships have
been built. I cannot re-build the ships but I can do quite a lot
for the atmosphere on the ship."

      Vital to creating the right atmosphere is how management
treats the crew. "If I have a crew member who signs off here
and goes on vacation, I want him or her to want to come back
to the Constellation - - 'I liked being on the Constellation, I
was treated well on the Constellation. We work hard but we
like to do it and we get acknowledgement for doing a good
job. We like being here."

     "That all reflects on how they treat the guests as well.
When they are smiling, it is a real smile because they are
happy to be here. You see a difference between that and the
smile that is on there because they have been told to smile.
That is our philosophy; that is what works."

     "I always remember when I was going through the ranks
and the captain would come over to me and say 'Gerry, you
did a good job today.'   I would live on that for 14 days.   It is
important when we are get to [a senior] role that we do not
forget that. So I try to tell myself everyday, remember when
you pass a stateroom attendant give him a pat on the back and
say good job because it means a lot to them when someone
actually tells them that they are actually are doing a good job.
And that is what I think is going to keep this ship and this
company at the level where we are."

     "I see that in the comments we get back from the guests. It
is amazing how many of the guests are focused on how we
treat our crew. They like to see that we treat them well and we
take care of them. I think that makes the guests' experience
better as well."

Captain Gerry Larsson-Fedde

CELEBRITY
CONSTELLATION

INSIDE INTERVIEW:

AT THE HELM OF
CELEBRITY
CONSTELLATION

A conversation with Captain
Gerry Larsson-Fedde.

By

Richard H. Wagner

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